View Single Post
Re: is it really worth it?
Old
  (#10)
MrSandMan is Offline
Put up or shut up!
MrSandMan has disabled reputation
 
MrSandMan's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,859
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Michigan
   
Default Re: is it really worth it? - 01-03-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by flyguitars
Quote:
Originally Posted by bassturd
i mean honestly its all wood and strings to an extent, does something being 50 years old make it better?... i mean i would think since wood drys out more overtime, you'd lose something in the process, my 2 cents
Theres a lot of issues here. Firstly craftsmanship - High End pre 70s guitars were made to very high standards. Yes modern day mass production can also be of high standard, but certain things, like shaping the necks, was all done by hand, and resulted in some really good, fine-playing instruments.

Secondly we come to materials. Certain woods (including South American mahogany) are no longer available, deforestation is a real problem as we all know - you do occasionally come across some really special Mahogany (Cuban, for example) but this will be in very limited quantities, and will be saved for the really special high end guitars costing thousands. Old lower end tuners for example are often poor, but even 50s and 60s budget guitars often use woods that would be in a lot more expensive guitars today.

Then there is fashion. In the 50s we wanted different sounds than the 70s or early eighties - Guitar manufacturers cater for what sells the most, at the time, not necessarily what all guitarist want. Whats more construction techniques now veer towards cheapness rather than some musical ideal. So even though they could make them a certain way, they tend not to. An example is the electric bass. In the 50s, a bass was made to sound like an old upright - quite deliberately. Now its made to be as far from that as possible!

But probably the most relevant is collectability - certain old guitars (Gibson, Fender etc) have defined our culture for the last 50 years, and will remain collectable, rising in price. Other brands less-so. Older budget guitars are not so collectable, especially if they were not used by the bigger names, back in the day. Especially Japanese, and cheaper Americans (Kay, Harmony etc)

I am a vintage guitar addict. Mass produced new guitars are fine - but just like modern music, SOUL (not the music genre) has been replaced by technical excellence and a perception of what will sell. X factor, popstars etc (or the American equivalent) create a bland imitation of what music once was, and in my opinion still should be.


Great post and very well said!


Visit http://gear-vault.com/ for guitar reviews
  
Reply With Quote